Key points from article :
When it comes to walking, the most obvious figure many of us think of is 10,000 – long idealized as the daily target to improve our health.
Many studies have shown that taking more steps on a daily basis is linked to less risk of early death.
In the latest study of over 2,000 middle-aged Black and White men and women wore accelerometers during waking hours.
Found that individuals taking at least 7,000 steps per day had an approximately 50-70% lower risk of early death.
Step intensity (measuring the quickness of steps taken) had no effect on mortality.
After a certain point, extra steps appear to have no beneficial effect, at least on that specific outcome.
"Steps per day is a simple, easy-to-monitor metric and getting more steps may be a good way to promote health," Amanda Paluch, lead author.
"In the near future we can hear a lot more about how daily steps impact our health," - Nicole Spartano, physical activity researcher.
Study by the University of Massachusetts published in JAMA Network Open.
